Many DWIs involve risky behavior and accidents. Alcohol may not be the only reason for such 'out of character' or abnormal behavior. A new field of research is developing (as of the last 11+ years) into parasites that affect the brain. It has become increasingly clear that what was once deemed a harmless parasite,
toxoplasma gondii (found in cat feces), is in fact dangerous to the brain. Jaroslav Flegr published his research in the May 2007 Schizophrenia Bulletin (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2526142/ ) some of his findings regarding this cat parasite that attaches to human hosts. First off, 80% of the population may be infected. In Prague, Czechoslovakia it was determined that
Toxoplasma- infected subjects were 2.65x higher to be involved in a traffic accident either as a pedestrian or driver. The effects on neuropathological and neuroimmunological pathways are a cause and effect from how the body protects itself from this pathogen, and how the parasite attacks the brain. It is important to know the duration of the
toxoplasma infection and what stage it has reached. The field of parasitology and its effects on people is a budding science which holds many answers. The practicing criminal defense lawyer should take into account these possibilities and their effects on human behavior where applicable.
I became aware of this, when a client who had recently graduated with a Biology degree, emphasis in parasitology (even published in this field) expounded to me the recent findings and directions where this research and it modern applicability are headed. Sure, it makes sense that alcohol and other mood altering chemicals can directly affect behavior; but it makes just as much sense that damage done by parasites burrowing into and destroying neuropathways can create just as much, if not more damage.
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